Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor, a combustor, and a turbine, with an annular flow path extending axially through each. Initially, air flows through the compressor where it is compressed or pressurized. The combustor then mixes and ignites the compressed air with fuel, generating hot combustion gases. These hot combustion gases are then directed from the combustor to the turbine where power is extracted from the hot gases by causing blades of the turbine to rotate.
The compressor and turbine sections include multiple rotors and stators configured to enable optimal operation. Gas turbine engines maintain an optimal clearance (distance) between the tips of the rotors and an outside diameter of a gas path within the turbine engine, and thereby provide the conditions necessary to achieve a desired performance.
The gas turbine engine performance is validated, in part, by measuring the blade tip clearance. In order to measure the tip clearance, one or more tip clearance probes are installed in the outer air seal wall of the turbine engine. As the tip clearance probes are incorporated onto the outer air seal of the gas turbine after the outer air seal has been manufactured, it is necessary to operate the outer air seal casing to accommodate the tip clearance probe. The operations to the engine hardware for installation of the tip clearance probe typically involve gaps in the heat shields which cause leak paths, thereby changing the heat transfer and thermal expansion of the inner cases.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a reliable method to seal the gaps between the probes and the heat shields. This invention is directed to solving this need and others.